


Hidden in Shadows

by randompersonH2O



Category: Pentatonix
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-30
Updated: 2016-12-30
Packaged: 2018-09-13 09:00:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9116113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/randompersonH2O/pseuds/randompersonH2O
Summary: Scott had never been the healthiest child, and dealing with both asthma and scoliosis was far from easy. However, when a medical research lab asks him to participate in a trial that could cure his asthma, how could he say no? Little did he know that this experiment was about to change his life forever.





	

Scott felt like he was dreaming as he listened to the message on his phone. The voice on the other end wasn't one that he recognized, but the words coming through the speakers were what had the blonde man's attention at the moment.

"Hi, Mr. Scott Hoying? I'm Doctor Kevin Olusola, and my colleagues and I are part of a medical research team called BioHealth. You have been randomly selected from a pool of eligible residents in your area to test a new medication that we believe could cure asthma. If you would like to participate in this human trial, please call me back as soon as possible at... " 

His minding was spinning too much to even think about writing down the contact information that the doctor was offering in that moment. If this went well, it could turn into a dream come true for Scott. If it was his physician that had gotten him considered, then he would have to give him a huge thank you the next time he made an appointment. The very idea that this could even work had him shaking with eager anticipation, for it could mean a chance for the tall blond to chase a goal previously well out of his reach. 

It had always been his dream to be a singer, and his choir director had even told him that he had a beautiful voice. However, there were times when even the smallest amount of dust could rip the breath right out of his lungs, and it had ruined his chances at taking his talent on to a professional stage. If the venue didn't have the right atmosphere, then it could cripple Scott's performance, and that wasn't something that many record labels were willing to deal with, if any. He had been depressed about it for a while, but the possibility of a cure had his mind swimming in delight and excitement. 

Despite the ideas floating around in his head, the blonde forced himself to take a moment to evaluate the situation. Was this something he should call his doctor about, or was this a decision he could make himself? He didn't want to risk any effects that might make his condition any worse. The idea in itself was sending shivers through his body, and not the pleasant kind either. Still, even with horrific images of what could happen, the bright light of Scott's childhood dreams was beckoning more than ever. After all, here was a doctor offering him a method to unlock that dream from the prison he had locked it away in as soon as he'd had his first attack. He could talk to his doctor about it if something went wrong, right?

Itching fingers pressed the buttons necessary to repeat the message while long limbs leaped into action to find a pen and paper. The voice he had dreamed of using in a concert hall or recording studio made an appearance then, humming gently as he awaited the information that his eager mind craved. This was his second chance, and he couldn't wait to tell his parents about it. Scott could almost hear their voices in his head; his mother squealing with excitement, his sister cheering that her brother was going to be famous, and his father giving him reserved congratulations. If anyone would remind him to be careful, it would be Richard. 

The humming coming from Scott's pale lips increased in volume once he had the specifics he needed, and his vocal chords formed the lyrics to a song from one of his favorite musicals of all time. He might not be singing on key, for he was far from a tenor, but the words were right for the moment. That, and he just wanted to sing.

"No wizard that there is or was is ever gonna bring me-"

Blue eyes went wide with surprise as the familiar feeling of his throat tightening interrupted his elated singing. He had forgotten that he needed to dust today, and apparently it was catching up to him. However, Scott was hoping that this was the last time that that would be a problem he faced. The inhaler he always kept on hand was quickly pulled out and used, and he managed to rasp one more word before his focus returned to his everyday life:

"Down."

\---

"Scott, you're going to be late! Hurry up!" Kirstie called, keys jingling in her hand as she twirled them impatiently. She had been standing in front of the door for at least ten minutes now, and it was clear to her that he was nowhere near ready to leave. As his chaperone for the day and lifelong best friend, she wouldn't stand for him being late, especially for an appointment that was so important.

"Calm down, Kirst, I'm almost done," Scott reassured her, a toothbrush hanging from his mouth and hair gel in his hand as he leaned out of the bathroom to look at the woman standing at his front door. This was a situation that both were familiar with, but it was one of the first times that the blonde had felt genuinely guilty about making Kirstie wait for him when he needed her to take him somewhere. This was an appointment that Scott didn't want to be late to either, but he wanted to be relatively presentable that day without the time it took for him to make himself look that way. "It's not that far from here anyways."

"It's far enough, Scott, especially with traffic. We'd be lucky to make it on time if we left now," Kirstie grumbled, abandoning her place by the front door to assist her friend. She knew that Scott was more than capable of getting himself ready eventually, but they were on a schedule and she doubted that their tardiness would be appreciated.

Scott didn't protest when he saw Kirstie squeeze into his minuscule bathroom behind him, though he was a bit surprised when the unused hair gel was suddenly scooped out of his hand and smoothed into the rats nest on top of his head. Apparently he had been taking longer than he had thought, for the woman who was now styling his hair for him was normally patient enough to let him dig his own grave in these situations. Then again, the appointment he was going to be late for was extremely important.

"Thanks Kirstie," he mumbled through a mouthful of toothpaste, moving the brush around in his mouth for a moment longer before deeming his mouth fresh enough for his tastes. Kirstie had finished with his hair by then, manipulating it perfectly as always, and the brunette wasted no time dragging Scott out the door.

They got the chance to calm down a bit once they had climbed into the car and drowned out their impending tardiness with loud music from the radio. Scott knew that Kirstie's car was free of anything that could possibly trigger an attack, and he was taking advantage of that fact by singing along with the radio. He didn't even care if he knew the songs or not. Today, he wasn't going to worry about singing too much, nor would he think about the possibility that this medicine wouldn't work. It was the calm before the storm, and Scott was about to enjoy every minute of it.

Forty five minutes of singing later and the two friends were parked outside the entrance of the BioHealth research lab. Scott would have run in, but he didn't want to put himself at risk of an attack so close to getting rid of them altogether. He settled for walking quickly instead, and Kirstin was right behind him. 

Scott didn't have any expectations for what the place would look like when he strode through the door, but he certainly wasn't surprised when the lobby reminded him a lot of a hospital. A group of plastic chairs with poorly cushioned seats made up the waiting room, and a long hallway of white tile led to what he could only assume were the places the testing was taking place. The mahogany desk in the center of the space belonged to someone he could only assume was a receptionist, but didn't seem the type as hazel eyes moved from the computer screen to them.

"Can I help you?" the man asked, his attention focused on the newcomers as he opened a few things up on his computer. Most of the other testing patients had come in already, and since it was the only test going on that day Alex didn't have to guess too hard at what these people were here for.

"Yes. I'm Scott, and I'm here for the asthma tests?"

"We're a bit late, and he wasn't told what to do when we arrived," Kirstie continued after a moment of awkward silence. Though Scott's question had probably explained enough, she knew that a little clarification would help ease her own nerves about the situation.

"Ah, I see," Alex replied, sending a quick text to the doctor to alert him that his missing test subject had arrived. Dr. Olusola wasn't a fan of people who were late, but he imagined it wasn't a problem in this case. They did have a very limited number of people to work with, after all. "I'll take you back to the testing room as soon as the doctor tells me where you'll be. As for you, miss...?"

"Kirstin Maldonado, but you can call me Kirstie," she answered, hands clasped in front of her as she waited to see what he could need her to do. If Scott had told her correctly, then all she needed to do was be his method of transportation.

"Do you know Scott well enough to fill out a medical questionnaire for him? It's not necessary, but it'll save the doctor time if he doesn't have to fill it out himself," Alex replied, typing a few things into his computer for documentation as he was asked to do. They needed to have a file on every patient they tested on, and the blonde had thought it a waste of time until now. Now that Scott was here, it gave him a chance to observe the gorgeous man in front of him as much as he wanted.

"I-I think so. He's been my best friend since high school, but I don't know everything. If there's anything I don't know you'll have to get him to fill it out later."

"That's perfectly fine. We can get him to fill out anything you leave blank after the first dose has been administered and he's been monitored for any negative side effects. The doctor's ready for you, Mister Hoying. Will you come with me, please?" Alex asked, gathering papers and folders in his toned arms as he did so. The doctor had asked for them, and his tardy patient, to be delivered to the same room, and the receptionist was just a bit more hopeful at the request. It meant that he could talk to Scott on the way there, and possibly get his number. When this was all over, maybe they could celebrate with a cup of coffee. Everyone loved coffee, right? 

Scott nodded to the other man quickly, long arms wrapping around his best friend as she approached him for a hug. They wouldn't see each other for a few days if all went according to plan. Even if it didn't, it was likely that he would still visit her to pout about still having asthma. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine, and we can celebrate by going out for drinks when this is all over," he promised, blue eyes focused on the brunette in front of him. Scott knew she would worry anyways. He was a bit worried himself, but he felt like he was reassuring the both of them that this couldn't possibly go wrong for him. He'd dealt with too much for it to backfire now. 

"I'll make sure to hold you to that. Good luck, Scott," Kirstie replied, smiling as the receptionist led her friend away and towards the hallway. The empty promise of paperwork echoed back towards her as they walked, but she couldn't care less about the questionnaire. All that she cared about was that she got to see Scott walk back down that hallway better than the moment he walked down it. She was also trying to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach that was telling her that that wouldn't be the case, but it wasn't working very well. 

Scott, on the other hand, was holding back the excitement and nerves that were bouncing around inside him like a rogue bouncy ball. His dream was just in sight now, and the thought of achieving it made him want to sprint past this receptionist, and his awkward attempts at conversation, and find the room he needed to be in. The bland white from the halls was almost blinding in the sunlight, however, and he wasn't sure he would be able to find his way if he had any idea what room they were headed to. He might have been blind right then, but Scott knew that this would open doors he had never thought he could step through before.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! Thank you so much for checking out the first chapter of my story. I hope you enjoyed it, and make sure to leave comments and kudos if you did!


End file.
